Disconnectible transfer mechanism



F. J. ROUAN -March 1952 DISCONNECTIBLE TRANSFER MECHANISM 2587766 FOR SETTABLE REGISTERS Filed March 4, 1949 INYENTOR Era/1cm J50 ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 4, 1952 DISCONNECTIBLE TRANSFER MECHANISM FOR SETTABLE REGISTERS Francis J. Rouan, Stamford, Conn., assignor t Pitney-Bowes, Inc., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application March 4, 1949, Serial No. 7 9,565

3 Claims. (Cl. 235-133) This invention relates to the means employed in effecting the setting of registered numeral wheels of a value registering unit of the type particularly provided in a postage printing and registering device, associated with a machine more commonly known as a metered mail machine.

In a postage printing and registering device,

selected variable values are adapted to be printed When a postage printer is to be placed in service, the numeral wheels of the subtracting register are set by an authorized post office official to the amount of cash received, thus establishing a prepaid credit and conditioning the machine for use until the credit value has been reduced to a predetermined amount. Through suitable lock-out means, the printing of a stamp is prevented when the remaining balance becomes less than the highest value which it is possible to print. After a lock-out occurs, the printing and registering unit is again returned to the post oflice for resetting of the numeral wheels of the subtracting register to place a new credit therein in the amount desired.

In eifecting the latter setting operation, each numeral wheel mustbe free for individual manipulation, and inasmuch as the several numeral wheels are joined by connecting tens transfer elements, means is provided for simplifying disv connection to permit the numeral wheels to be' rotated for the setting of the prepaid value therein.

It is the principal object of the invention therefore, to provide means for freeing each numeral wheel from any intermediate connection with an associated numeral wheel of higher or lower order, when a. setting of a credit in said numeral wheels is to be effected.

It is another object to effect disconnection of tens transfer elements normally connecting a numeral wheel with a numeral wheel of higher order, by effecting lateral adjustment of a pinion associated with the tens transfer elements.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds,

the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of a subtracting numeral register wheel structure of a postage printing and registering device;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and further includes a portion of the casing enclosing the registering mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through a numeral wheel, taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the tens transfer pinion structure.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, numeral wheels ID are rotatively mounted upon a shaft H, which shaft is suitably supported in side frames I2, one wall of which is indicated in Fig. 1. Intermediate supporting walls are also provided as indicated at I 3-l3. Said numeral wheels l0 preferably include internal differential mechanism of the type disclosed in a patent to Hopkins et al. 1,281,163. Said differential mechanism includes two sun gears l4l4a which rotate freely on both the shaft II and within suitable bores Mb-Mc respectively in either side of each numeral Wheel [0.

Each sun gear |4l4a has a planetary gear I 5-l5a respectively meshing therewith, which planetary gears l5l5a mesh together and are supported on suitable pins l5b-l5c respectively carried by the numeral wheel, as shown in Figs.

1 and 3. Each of the sun gears l4 l4a further has a spur gear l6l Ba respectively joined therewith, the gear |6 being the driven gear, driven by an actuator gear [1, associated with the values printed, and the gear lBa being driven from a tens transfer mechanism.

Said tens transfer mechanism comprises a compound pinion structure generally indicated at [8, Fig. 1, and includes a Geneva pinion l9, having a splined extension 2|, and a transfer pinion 22, having an internal splined portion 23, which is adapted to have a sliding fit on the splined extension 2|. The Geneva pinion I9 is adapted to cooperate with a Geneva toothed portion 24 of the numeral wheel l0, and the transfer pinion 22 is adapted to mesh with the spur gear lGa. Hence, rotation of a numeral wheel through a tens transfer position will effect rotation of the Geneva pinion l9 and transfer pinion 22, to thereby provide rotation of spur gear l6a of the numeral wheel of next higher order.

The Geneva pinions l9 are mounted upon a shaft 25, which shaft is suitably supported parallel to the shaft H within the side walls of the frame structure l2. The Geneva pinion structure l9-2i is confined between side Walls 26-46 of shaft bracing portions 21 extending from a cross bar 28, supported between the walls of said frame structure l2.

Fingers 29 are piv-otally mounted in spaced relation upon a rod 3|, which rod is supported between the walls [2, parallel to the shaft II. Each finger 29 is adapted to block axial movement of the pinion 22fwhen the gear lfia and transfer pinion-22 are in an operative meshed position and the finger 29 is in the position indicatedin the right hand portion of Fig. 1, and the full line position of Fig. 2. When, a prep-aid creditis to be set in the numeral wheels 10, all

of the fingers 29 are retracted by swinging Same back on their pivots to the position indicated by the dot and dash line, Fig. 2, and as indicated in the left hand portion of Fig. 1. This permits .axial adjustment of the transfer pinions 22 along their respective splined extensions 2| to thereby disconnect said pinions 22 from meshed relation with their associated spur gears I611, as best indicated in the left hand portion of Fig. 1. After adjustment of the numeral wheels H! to the I prepaid value, the transfer pinions 22 are adapted *to be quickly readjusted to their meshed relation with the spur gears I511. The fingers 29 are then returned to their normal blocking" positions, as in Fig. 2, to retain the pinions 22 in their operating positions.

By means of acover 32 pivoted at 33 on the casing 34, the fingers 29 are retained in their blocking positions, as best indicated in Fig. 2,

when said cover is closed. In accordance with postal regulations, the said cover 32 is also properly locked and sealed by the post ofiic official after each value setting operation.

, .I-Iavingdescribed the invention what is claimed 1. In resettable value registering mechanism in combination, numeral wheels rotatively suptension and operatively associated with one numeral wheel, and a transfer pinion having a splined opening arranged for axial adjustment along the splined extension into or out of mesh with the tens transfer driven gear of the numeral wheel of next higher order, and means to normally retain the transfer pinion in meshed relation with the tens transfer driven gear.

2. In resettable value registering mechanism in combination, numeral wheels rotatively supported on a shaft, each numeral wheel including a differential drive therein and having an actuator driven gear and a tens transfer driven gear associated therewith, tens transfer means associated with successive pairs of numeral wheels comprising at Geneva pinion having an extension and operatively associated with one numeral wheel, and a transfer pinion having a driving connection with and axially adjustable along the extension for movement into or out of mesh with the tens transfer driven gear of the numeral wheel of next higher order, and means to normally-retain the transfer pinion in meshed relation with the tens transfer driven gear.

3. In resettable value registering mechanism in combination, numeral wheels rotatively supported on a shaft, each numeral wheel including .a differential drive therein and having an actuand operatively associated with one numeral wheel, and a transfer pinion having a driving connection with and axially adjustablealong the extension for movement into or out of meshwith the tens transfer driven gear of the numeral wheel of next higher order, and a blocking element movable into the path of the transfer pinion when the pinion is in mesh with the transfer driven gear to normally retain the transfer pinion v in meshed relation with the tens transfer driven gear.

FRANCIS J. ROUAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name, Date 217,827 Stalmann July 22, 1879 1,011,156 Chase r r Dec. 12, 1911 1,192,255 Wright P, July 25, 1916 1,600,319 Cox r Sept. 21, 1926 1,826,520 McGowan. j.-1 Oct. 6 19.31 1 2,271,958 Shoup Feb. 3, 1942 2,482,935 Rast V V Sept. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 498,925 Germany May 30, 1930 771,043 France July 16, 1934 

